Posts Written by Rose

Amber Rose’s gender bias claims may hold weight

Rhetorical shots have been fired by Ghanaians who take issue with the twit pic of poor children Amber Rose posted during her recent trip to Ghana. Ghanaians have a right to be exhausted with media stereotypes about Ghana that laser in on poor, barefoot children. But that is no excuse for using a double standard that seems to be rooted in a gender bias and not recognizing Rose for her positive contributions.

“What I have noticed about Africa since I have been here” Rose said in a YouTube interview which also apologized for how Ghanaians may have received the picture, “is it’s either extremely rich or extremely poor, there is no middle class.”

A Ghanaweb article pounced on Amber for committing the cardinal sin when an African country is the topic of discussion: making a generalization about Africa when one’s experiences are usually based in one country. It is also clear that Rose’s absolute statement about Africa’s middle class — or lack thereof — didn’t help matters. Still, Rose is undeserving of having her credentials reduced to a relationship that is black history or being called “cheap.” Rose may be on to something in her recent WhoSay entry when she called folks out on what she feels is a double standard regarding gender. Before folks dismiss Rose outright, consider the ultimate pass R&B singer Mario received after acting a fool this July.

Caeser Cut 8 (2)

Women make the cut in Accra, Ghana

In a recent Loop21 article, Llanor Alleyne discusses the fear imposed on her when she decided to embrace a Caesaresque coif:

When I got my first short haircut in my teens—out of the sheer frustration of dealing with relaxers and not out of any need to declare my sexuality—my barber had to be convinced that I could handle what may come after I got out of his chair. The patina of his worry held the revulsion that he might somehow be responsible for unleashing me on the unsuspecting, good people of Bed-Stuy. That I had to carry both my fear and his was a weight that stayed with me as I negotiated not only my community, but my cultural standing ...

In a recent Loop21 article, Llanor Alleyne discusses the fear imposed on her when she decided to embrace a Caesaresque coif:

When I got my first short haircut in my teens—out of the sheer frustration of dealing ...

There is a black, pro-sex contingent–in pop culture

Erotic Revolutionaries is one of the juiciest Black feminist projects I have sunk my teeth into since I discovered Jill Nelson’s Sexual Healing. Shayne Lee’s Erotic Revolutionaries careens from pop cultural sub-genre to sub-genre exploring the contributions many black women in the public eye have made to sexuality through their platforms in sports, music, and even in the pulpit. Lee is convinced that the notion that Black women should be respectable has led to a stranglehold of sorts over many scholars, possibly preventing them from joining a pro-sex, black feminist contingent. Thus, his book is a review of resources that can inform everyday black women on their sexual options.

I was struck by the idea that feminist nuggets of ...

Erotic Revolutionaries is one of the juiciest Black feminist projects I have sunk my teeth into since I discovered Jill Nelson’s Sexual Healing. Shayne Lee’s Erotic Revolutionaries careens from pop cultural sub-genre to sub-genre exploring ...

Composing a complete woman’s life

This past weekend, I was invited to Delaware State University as a speaker for their annual Women’s Week Conference. I was proud to be among scholars and business leaders to discuss topics such as sexual health, women’s employment, and transitioning from college to career. The ultimate high for me was when a commenter referenced the title of Courtney’s Do it Anyway as a call to inspire women to apply for jobs beyond their home environments, taking a risk to pursue a career in a new place for the greater good.

After the formalities, a powerful sister circle ensued where sisters engaged with one another about what motivates women to have unprotected sex despite the wealth of information available to them, ...

This past weekend, I was invited to Delaware State University as a speaker for their annual Women’s Week Conference. I was proud to be among scholars and business leaders to discuss topics such as sexual health, ...

Remembering Malcolm X

Yesterday was the 46th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination.

As a feminist, I have always been very drawn to Malcolm’s ideological transformation. After reading his autobiography, I saw Malcolm less as a sexist and more as a man who was prompted to reevaluate his world view because of sexist injustices against women. It is no secret that his break with the Nation of Islam was primarily motivated by Elijah Muhammad’s affairs with his young secretaries where he fathered 6 children. While this doesn’t give him a pass on vitriolic remarks such as “The closest thing to a woman is the devil,” it is important to recognize feminist moments about this leader that have been understated or unstated altogether.

Along with ...

Yesterday was the 46th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination.

As a feminist, I have always been very drawn to Malcolm’s ideological transformation. After reading his autobiography, I saw Malcolm less as a sexist and more as a ...

Facebook recognizes civil unions and domestic partnerships

Facebook took a big step this week in their decision to allow people to identify as being “in a civil union” or “in a domestic partnership.” ZDNet offers their take in “The country of Facebook recognizes civil unions” as well as a note on the limitations of the new feature:

Functionally the change is minor to unimportant, from a societal standpoint it moves Facebook alongside some 35 plus countries in recognizing, in some form, non-traditional relationships.

Is it appropriate to talk about Facebook in country scale terms of influence? With 600,000,000 users, its population is only behind those of the physical populations of China and India, and is nearly twice that of the United States. That said, the two new options ...

Facebook took a big step this week in their decision to allow people to identify as being “in a civil union” or “in a domestic partnership.” ZDNet offers their take in “The country of Facebook recognizes ...

‘MOOZ-lum’ debuts in theaters this weekend

If this trailer and The Loop’s new piece “Nia Long: The ‘MOOZ-lum’ Interview” are any indication of what we are in store for with “MOOZ-lum,” I am psyched to see this fresh take on an oft-misunderstood population. It’s really exciting to hear that Nia Long of “Love Jones” fame is participating in a project that is confronting stereotypes. Also, her role as Safiyah, the mother of the film’s protagonist, Tariq, is giving her an opportunity to voice her opinion on chadors in public institutions, arguing that we should afford Muslim women who cover the same respect we offer students who wear Catholic school uniforms:

The one thing that stands out in my mind is the commitment Muslim women ...

If this trailer and The Loop’s new piece “Nia Long: The ‘MOOZ-lum’ Interview” are any indication of what we are in store for with “MOOZ-lum,” I am psyched to see this fresh take on an ...

Useful Tips on Writing — for Pay

J. Danielle’s take at Media Strut this week following the news about HuffPo selling for a whopping $315 million allows us here at Feministing to continue the conversation on how women writers can monetize their writing.

So what’s the rundown according to J.?

Well first and foremost, J. encourages: make money. This is along the lines of what Linda Hirshman meant in Homeward Bound when she advocated that women should lose their capitalism virginity and get serious about balancing the pursuit of resources with “intellectual, prestigious, socially meaningful, politics-free jobs.” J. suggests that you can avoid the pitfalls of primarily writing for free by altering and re-posting the content you get paid to write. And how ...

J. Danielle’s take at Media Strut this week following the news about HuffPo selling for a whopping $315 million allows us here at Feministing to continue the conversation on how women writers can ...

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